Benefits of HIIT For Weight Loss

There are a lot of advantages of doing HIIT workouts, which you will see below.

Burns fat for up to 2 days after the workout – I.e. You’ll burn fat whilst you sleep. It’s also a highly effective way to get rid of any last bits of excess fat if you’ve already successfully lost a lot of weight.

Workouts take little time – If you get bored of cardio exercises then you’ll love HIIT as each session takes less than 30 minutes including resting time. The activity is intense and short enough that you’ll won’t have time to get bored.

Increases your VO2 max – This is the maximum oxygen uptake your body is capable of, the higher this is the more intensely you can workout. You’ll be able to perform at sport much better than if didn’t perform intense activities.

Increases your insulin sensitivity – This is an important point for your general health. With increased insulin sensitivity your body reacts to blood sugar more efficiently, and your risk of developing diabetes is lowered, said ‘Weightalogue’.

Example HIIT Exercise Workout Plan:

So now you know why HIIT is so great let’s look at some example workouts you can put into practice.

Warming Up (and Down):

As you’ll have heard many times before warming up is important before every workout session, this primes your body for more intense activity. It’s helps you avoid unnecessary injuries and cramps.

A brisk 5-minute walk with brief bursts of speed is sufficient to bring your body temperature up and get your blood flowing.

It’s also a wise idea to do some stretches after warming up particularly of the muscles you’ll be using – e.g. your leg muscles if you are going running.

At the end of your workout session don’t just stop completely, warm down by walking around for a few more minutes and ease yourself back to resting condition.

Beginners guide to HIIT:

As a beginner you should focus mainly on increasing your overall fitness and getting used to working out. HIIT exercise should be sparse and performed at a less intense level.

Word of caution: Don’t be too enthusiastic and go all out straight away when just starting out with HIIT (or any exercise). You can try if you want but I’m sure you’ll regret it slightly as you probably won’t even be able to complete half the sets. Don’t push yourself too hard without some experience or you’ll feel nauseous, dizzy and generally unwell.